(Agencies) The Budget for 2010, presented on Monday in Madrid by Elena Salgado, Second Vice-President and Minister for Economy(photo), and subject to much negotiation, includes a total of €239,930,290 for the Campo de Gibraltar. Most of the money (58%, or €140,824,000) would be scheduled for the Algeciras Port Authority. And most of that (€73,461,000) is destined for a new container terminal at Isla Verde.>

The overall packet is better than that of the 2009 Budget but money for infrastucture, roads especially, is very much reduced. For example, the much-needed improvements to the A-48 between Algeciras and Vejer, has a mere €10,000 assigned to it, although plans for it are at the environmental impact report stage, which will take a year to complete.

Improvements to the railways, though, have some €25 million assigned to them. Of that, €10,200,000 go to connecting Algeciras Port with the rail network, €12,775,110 go to track improvements on the Algeciras-Ronda-Bobadilla section, with €6,130,000 destined for improvements to railway stations at Algeciras, Los Barrios, San Roque and Jimena. Another €596,100 is destined to a study of a railway corridor, connecting the Campo with the Costa del Sol. (See Algeciras-Madrid train service to be suspended for at least three months)